Oromia

The land of the Oromo Nation is known as Oromia (sometimes spelled Oromiya). It is located within Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, between three and 15 degrees north latitude, and 33 and 40 degrees east longitude.

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Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. Covering 353,632 km2 from the east to the southwest of the country, its population was estimated in 2002 at about twenty-four million, making it the largest state in terms of both population and land area. Its current capital is Adama.

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Prior to the twenty-first century, the regional capital of Oromia was Addis Ababa, also known as Finfinne (the original name in the Oromo language). The relocation of the regional capital to Adama sparked considerable controversy. Critics of the move believed the Ethiopian government wished to deemphasize Addis Ababa's location within Oromia.http://www.sidamaconcern.com/books/ethiopia_a_new_start.html,http://oromostudies.org/lettertoUNSecretaryGeneral.htm On the other hand, the government maintained that Addis Ababa "has been found inconvenient from the point of view of developing the language, culture and history of the Oromo people."http://www.waltainfo.com/ennews/2000/jul/13jul00/jul13e3.htm

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On June 10, 2005, the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization (OPDO), part of the ruling EPRDF coalition, officially announced plans to move the state capital back to Finfinne. According to Ethiopia's Walta Information Center, this announcement has met with widespread enthusiasm among Adama residents and Oromo scholars.http://www.waltainfo.com/ennews/2005/jun/10jun05/jun10e14.htm, http://www.waltainfo.com/ennews/2005/jun/15jun05/jun15e3.htm, http://www.waltainfo.com/ennews/2005/jun/14jun05/jun14e11.htm

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Oromo: The Oromo are an African ethnic group found in Ethiopia and to a lesser extent Kenya. They are the largest single ethnic group in Ethiopia, numbering over 30 million members or 40% of the population. Their native language is the Oromo language....

Ethiopia: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Amharic ኢትዮጵያ Ityopp'ya) is a country situated in the Horn of Africa. It has one of the most extensive known histories as an independent nation on the continent, or indeed in the world. Unique among African countries, Ethiopi...

Horn of Africa: The Horn of Africa (or, Somali Peninsula) is a peninsula of East Africa that juts into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent, and so-called because of its resemblance to a rhinoceros's horn....